Dalić returns Croatia to a familiar system: against Panama, stability, victory and a new beginning at the World Cup are required
Zlatko Dalić has announced clear changes in the Croatian national team ahead of the second match in Group L of the 2026 World Cup, in which Croatia will play Panama in Toronto. After the 4:2 defeat to England in Arlington, the head coach said that the team must quickly close the story of a poor start to the tournament and turn to a duel that can decisively shape the battle for progression to the knockout stage. According to the Croatian Football Federation’s announcement, Dalić admitted at the press conference on June 19 that England had been the better opponent, but stressed that Croatia must not lose faith or control over its own plan. In practical terms, that means a return to the systems in which his national team achieved its greatest results: formations with four players in the back line, most often 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. The most concrete change has already been announced in attack, where Ante Budimir is expected to get the advantage from the first minute against Panama, even though Petar Musa scored against England and made use of the minutes he was given.
The defeat to England opened questions about the team’s balance
Croatia opened the tournament with a match that offered plenty of attacking content, but also too many defensive problems. According to the official HNS report, England won 4:2, while Croatia’s goals were scored by Martin Baturina in the 36th minute and Petar Musa in first-half stoppage time. England took the lead through Harry Kane from a retaken penalty, then Kane headed in for 2:1, Jude Bellingham scored at the start of the second half for 3:2, and Marcus Rashford confirmed the final result in the 85th minute. Associated Press stated in its match report that Kane, with two goals, equalled England’s record for the number of goals scored at World Cups, while HNS highlighted that Croatia came back from behind twice, but could not withstand the rhythm after the early goal in the second half. After the match, Dalić particularly stressed that set pieces were Croatia’s biggest problem, because England created a series of promising chances from corners and similar situations.
The head coach’s analysis was unusually direct. According to HNS, Dalić said that Croatia does not remember defending set pieces so poorly during his tenure, even though such situations had been prepared in training. In the first part of the match, despite England’s pressure, Croatia had an answer in possession and combination play, especially with Baturina’s goal after Petar Sučić’s assist and Musa’s goal after Perišić’s reaction. But the continuation brought what the head coach described as a drop in concentration, discipline and personal responsibility in the penalty area. When Bellingham went through the middle as early as the 47th minute and scored for 3:2, Croatia lost stability, and Dominik Livaković had to prevent a more convincing defeat. That is precisely why Dalić’s announced change of direction is not merely a cosmetic change to the line-up, but an attempt to restore the basic balance between possession, space protection and set-piece defending.
A return to four in defence is not an admission of system failure, but a correction of risk
According to HNS’s announcement, Dalić rejected the thesis that the playing system itself was the main cause of the defeat to England, but at the same time clearly stated that Croatia would return to a more familiar model for Panama. Against England, he planned a different arrangement, with more pronounced protection of the back line and tall players who were supposed to help in duels and set pieces. However, the four goals conceded and a series of dangerous situations after English corners nullified the initial idea. The head coach recalled that the greatest results of his national team had been achieved in 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 systems, and such a message ahead of Panama suggests a return to clearer roles for full-backs, centre-backs and midfielders. For Croatia, this is important because against an opponent likely to give up longer periods of possession, what is needed is not only a larger number of attackers, but also better protection against counterattacks.
The match with Panama therefore opens up a different tactical picture from the duel with England. According to HNS, Dalić assessed that Panama “is not harmless”, but also that it is not an opponent of the same profile as England. Croatia should have more of the ball, arrive at set pieces more often and spend more time in the opposing half. Such a scenario requires the team to build attacks patiently, but also to react quickly after losing the ball, because Panama has enough athletic strength and experience to punish carelessness. A return to four in defence can enable clearer pressing lines and a better distribution of responsibility when dealing with crosses, especially if Croatia has to spend a long time attacking an organised defence. In that context, the change of system is not only a reaction to defeat, but also an adjustment to an opponent that will probably try to steer the match in a physically demanding and tactically closed direction.
Budimir ahead of Musa: a decision that changes the way of attacking
The most prominent personnel change concerns the tip of the attack. Petar Musa scored for 2:2 against England near the end of the first half and thereby showed that he can be useful in the penalty area, but according to HNS, Dalić explained that Musa had also been given the advantage because of demands in the defensive phase. For the match against Panama, he announced the use of Ante Budimir, and the original preview context suggests that the striker should start from the first minute. This is an important decision because Budimir brings a different profile: more pronounced play with his back to goal, battles for crosses, the ability to hold up the ball and a constant presence between the centre-backs. If Croatia has more possession, such a type of striker can open space for midfielders arriving from the second line.
Budimir’s introduction into the starting line-up could also have consequences for the choice of players around him. Croatia will have to find a balance between width through the flanks and internal combinations through midfield, because Panama will not necessarily leave much space behind the back line. If the full-backs are given more freedom to go high, the midfielders will have to cover better the zones from which problems arose against England after lost balls. Budimir can also be important at set pieces, not only as an attacking target, but also as an additional figure in defending his own penalty area. Dalić announced that set pieces would be worked on specifically on Saturday and Sunday, which shows that the coaching staff does not treat the problem from the first match as an isolated detail, but as a segment that can decide the next encounter. In tournament football, such corrections often carry the same weight as changes to the line-up itself.
Group L has already created pressure on Croatia and Panama
After the first round of Group L, the margin for error has narrowed considerably for both Croatia and Panama. England took three points with the win over Croatia, while Ghana beat Panama 1:0 in Toronto. According to Sky Sports’ report, the decisive goal for Ghana was scored by Caleb Yirenkyi in the 95th minute, after which Panama was left without a point in a match in which it had kept the scoreline balanced for a long time. This means that both national teams enter their mutual encounter with zero points and a clear awareness that another defeat would dramatically complicate the path toward the knockout stage. FIFA’s schedule states that Panama and Croatia meet on June 23 at Toronto Stadium, with kick-off at 19:00 local time in Toronto, or 23:00 UTC.
The importance of the match is further increased by the new World Cup format. FIFA states that the two best national teams from each of the 12 groups and the eight best third-placed teams progress to the knockout stage. This means that third place does not necessarily have to mean the end of the tournament, but after a defeat in the first round, calculations become risky. With a victory against Panama, Croatia would regain control over its own prospects before the final match against Ghana, while a draw would leave many open questions and increase dependence on other results. A defeat, on the other hand, would mean that Croatia would have to seek victory in the final round with an extremely favourable outcome in the ranking of third-placed teams. That is why Dalić’s message that everything is still in Croatian hands makes sense only if it is confirmed on the pitch against Panama.
Panama arrives with experience and a clear identity
Panama is nominally a less resounding name than England and Croatia in Group L, but its current squad is not without international experience. According to FIFA’s presentation of the Panamanian team, head coach Thomas Christiansen selected 26 players for the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States of America, and the squad relies on a series of footballers who have already gone through big matches in the national shirt. FIFA particularly highlighted the return and importance of Adalberto Carrasquilla, while Reuters’ report on the squad announcement states that captain Aníbal Godoy and other experienced players from Panama’s core are also in the team. Panama lost its first match against Ghana only in the closing stages, which points to a team capable of maintaining compactness for a long time and forcing the opponent into impatience. For Croatia, it will therefore be equally important how to open the match and how to control the emotional rhythm of the duel.
Dalić’s staff will have to prepare the team for an opponent that could vary between a lower block, more direct exits down the flanks and attempts to create chaos in the penalty area through set pieces or long balls. That is precisely why the defeat to England carries a useful, though painful, lesson. Croatia cannot allow a match to fall apart after one lost duel or one poor rotation at a set piece. If Panama withstands the initial pressure, time can become its ally, and Croatia will have to avoid rushed shots and unnecessary opening of space. Budimir’s presence, greater discipline at defensive set pieces and a return to a familiar arrangement can help, but only if the midfield manages to dictate the tempo without losing compactness. In such a match, Croatia’s quality on paper does not mean much if it is not accompanied by precision in the details.
The responsibility lies with the head coach, but the reaction must come from the dressing room
According to HNS, after the defeat Dalić took responsibility and said there was no need to look for culprits. He stressed that an atmosphere of pessimism would not help a team that still has two group matches in the tournament and the possibility of getting back into the fight for progression. Such a tone is important because the Croatian national team has often not had ideal starts in recent major competitions, but has known how to grow through a tournament. Still, the circumstances in 2026 are different because the expanded format opens more paths toward the knockout stage, but at the same time increases the number of national teams that, after one surprise, can come into a realistic opportunity to progress. Croatia therefore cannot afford a long adjustment phase.
The reaction against Panama will have to be visible in several areas. First, set-piece defending must be clearer, more aggressive and more responsible, because that was precisely the segment that collapsed the match plan against England. Second, the midfield must better protect the space in front of the defence, especially after lost balls and during full-backs’ forward runs. Third, the attack must make use of Budimir’s characteristics without turning the game into predictable delivery of crosses from every situation. Croatia has enough technical quality to press Panama through combinations, but victory will depend on whether it can simultaneously maintain patience and reduce the number of mistakes that opponents at the World Cup quickly punish. Dalić’s announcement of a return to a familiar system is therefore the beginning of a correction, but the real answer can only be provided by the performance in Toronto.
Sources:
- Croatian Football Federation – Dalić’s press conference and preview of the match against Panama (link)
- Croatian Football Federation – official report from the England - Croatia 4:2 match (link)
- FIFA – Panama’s schedule in Group L and the timing of the Panama - Croatia match (link)
- FIFA – rules for progression from the groups and criteria for qualification to the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup (link)
- Associated Press – report from the England - Croatia match and context of the results in Group L (link)
- Sky Sports – report from the Ghana - Panama 1:0 match in Group L (link)
- FIFA – announcement of Panama’s squad for the 2026 World Cup and context of Thomas Christiansen’s team (link)
- Reuters / The Star – announcement of Panama’s squad, the role of Aníbal Godoy and Adalberto Carrasquilla (link)